2. 
CITRTJLLUS VULGARIS. 25867. Prom Merw, Russian Turkestan. 
Presented "by Capt. M. L. Cummins. Received August 13. 
"The melon is orange colored and not reddish inside and in 
my opinion was the "best I have ever eaten. The seeds came 
from a melon I had in Merw in the south central part of 
Turkestan. (Cummins. ) 
CITRUS SP. 25862. Seeds from Saigon, Cochin China. Pre- 
sented "by Mr. Jacob E. Conner, American Consul. Received 
August 14. "A little fine, flat, green-skinned mandarin 
orange, a little larger than the ordinary ones of this 
type. The flesh is quite reddish in color and the flavor 
is a combination of that of the ordinary flat and the 
round, loose-skinned oranges". (Conner.) 
GLADIOLUS. 25869. Corms and seed from Mhamacurra , Quelimane, 
•Portuguese East Africa. Presented "by Mr. 0. W. Barrett. 
Received August 14. "A plant of the low, moist lands of 
the Zamhesi Valley. Plowers pale yellow, medium size, 
opening nearly downwards. Bulb, pale brown coat, yellow 
inside. Height 2 to 3 feet. (Barrett.) 
GOURDS. 25822-831. Seeds of ten kinds of gourds from Nice, 
Prance, presented "by Hon. Dulany Hunter, Consul-General . 
Received August 3. "The 'Festival des Gougourdons ' is 
held here in the spring and though I have never been able 
to get to it I understand that it is very interesting. 
I am sending you under separate cover a few packages of 
the gourds which are exhibited there. The nurseryman 
states that the seeds should he planted in a flower pot 
and not transferred until the plant is about to throw out 
a few leaves; that the soil should "be well manured hut not 
too abundantly as in that case the gourd does not become 
sufficiently dry to be used for holding liquids. When the 
plants are large enough they are tied to lattice work so 
they can be exposed to the sun. They need comparatively 
little water and the fruit should be protected from heavy 
dews by being kept covered at night. The seeds are planted 
in the spring and the fruit which dries on the plants is 
ready to be gathered by the end of September or early in 
October. The peasants at Cimiez make pipes and other 
articles of odd shapes by wrapping parts of the gourd before 
it has ripened with soft pieces of cloth. and are thus en- 
abled to bend them into the form they wish to produce. The 
covered parts do not develop freely and, remaining soft, 
can be bent into the desired, shajpe" . (Hunter.) 
